Public-private partnership for a safe and resilient Netherlands

Rotterdam, 10 December 2024

In times of growing tensions such as geopolitical conflicts, polarisation, hybrid warfare, disinformation and natural disasters, the vulnerability of our society becomes clear. The Netherlands, with its open society and economy, is extra sensitive to these threats. Security is no longer self-evident and requires a Whole-of-Society approach, in which governments, companies and citizens take their responsibility and collaborate more.

The organisations involved see a new perspective emerging for the Netherlands: protecting our democratic values, and strengthening society and economy are crucial for the resilience of the Netherlands in crises. They feel a moral duty and social responsibility to tackle this together, which requires a broad coalition.

The following organisations, among others, have joined this initiative: ABN AMRO, Albert Heijn, AMS-IX, Deloitte, EACC Netherlands, Gasunie, Municipality of Rotterdam, Port of Rotterdam Authority, KPN, Ministry of Justice and Security, Ministry of Defence, Dutch Banking Association, NIPV, Rabobank, Red Cross, TenneT, TNO, Rotterdam Rijnmond Security Region, VNO-NCW, and Waternet.

A first step has already been taken. At the beginning of November, participants from these organisations travelled to Finland to learn how public-private partnerships can contribute to the resilience and security of the Netherlands. It is the first time that such a group of organisations, consisting of public and private, has made an exploratory trip together. The unique composition provided a wide range of perspectives and expertise during the trip. The Finnish approach, with a focus on integrated security strategies and public-private partnerships, is known worldwide as a frontrunner of a resilient society. Deloitte put together the programme and took on the organisation.

Strengthening overarching direction, collaboration and communication

The experiences in Finland have inspired this group to work together with a number of ideas after returning. In the coming months, the participants will further develop these actions in order to actually implement them. These initiatives focus on increasing resilience through national, regional and local cooperation. The main insights gained in Finland are:

• Need for overarching direction: There is a need for central coordination, clarity and cohesion from a national council with broad representation (government, business, aid organisations and knowledge institutions). Finland has the Security Committee that determines Finland's security strategy (Comprehensive Security). It falls under the Finnish Ministry of Defence and has representatives from various ministries, security services, NGOs, the private sector and specialists.
• Cooperate: There is a lot of room and urgent need to strengthen cooperation within and between vital sectors regarding preparation and response to threats and dangers. The National Emergency Supply Agency (NESA) in Finland works with more than 1500 public and private parties to ensure the functioning of vital functions of society during crises. In addition, it also manages emergency supplies.
• Improving communication for citizens: Clear communication must be provided to society and its citizens. At the moment, a sense of urgency is missing. Public and private parties can both play a role in improving this. In Finland, citizens are prepared to survive for 72 hours without the help of government services by stockpiling emergency supplies.

By acting together, we can build a safe and resilient Netherlands for future generations. We cordially invite interested organisations to join and actively contribute to the resilience of the Netherlands. Together, we can meet today's challenges and secure the future.

On 6 December, a letter to parliament entitled "Resilience against military and hybrid threats" was sent by the Dutch government. This letter emphasises the need to improve the resilience of Dutch society in response to the worsening international security situation. The letter calls for cooperation between government, business and social institutions, and this initiative is one of the concrete examples of this.